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Let's talk lashes ladies! In todays world, it is so simple to find someone to do a service and call it a lash extension. We all want beautiful perfect lashes, but all extensions are not created the same way. Navigating through this high dollar industry making smart choices can mean the difference of being thrilled or extremely disappointed with your outcome. Below are a few tips from my experience as a certified lash artist to help you select an industry professional who is perfect for you!

1. MAKE SURE THEY ARE LICENSED AND CERTIFIED

Now, don't get me wrong. Just having a license does NOT mean an artist will do a satisfactory job. What it should mean is that they have received the proper training in individual placement of lashes, safety, and sanitation while providing for their clientele. Finding a great artist means starting with qualifications. Next comes the proof!

2 ASK TO SEE A PORTFOLIO

There is nothing at all wrong with requesting to see someone's work before paying them a significant amount of money in exchange for a meticulous service. Even if a particular professional came highly recommended by a friend or family member, you still want to look over their style to make sure it fits in with what you are imagining for yourself. With lashes, one size definitely doesn't fit all. The composition of the lashes is SO important for the final look. If they're crooked, clumped, or there is too much adhesive used, you won't get a good result.

-Look for clean bases (no clumps) -Lashes need to start in the tear duct and continue to the very edges -You want shorter lashes near the nose and the outer corners of the eye

3. ASK ABOUT THE LASHES

With so many different options, choose what is important to you. Are you a vegan? You would want to make sure that you choose synthetic lashes, as these are cruelty free. Do they do volume or individual lashes? I've had clients come to me from other salons who literally knew NOTHING about what they had been paying for. Part of choosing a great artist, is being able to trust their decision making, but you definitely want your desires and requests to be heard. (i.e. length, thickness, curl, volume, etc.). There are also different diameters and degrees of curl. The measurements are represented in millimeters and the curl is coded with letters. See below:

This is when it makes a huge difference to have a lash artist who is tasteful and skilled in selecting the perfect lashes for each client. So many artists get comfortable with one look, however, short thin lashes could definitely not stand up to the 0.3 mm thickness above! You would have breakage and crooked or drooping lashes. NOT GOOD! Another negative of using a lash that is too thick and heavy is poor retention. This brings me to my next point...

4. ASK ABOUT THE ADHESIVE

You can purchase eyelash extension glue on eBay for a couple of bucks. Let's all go ahead and agree that this (basically the equivalent of Lee nail glue) would not be something you would want to pay anywhere from $140- $250 to have applied to your eye area. Unfortunately these cheap adhesives generally contain formaldehyde, which is a cancer causing agent. The fumes can be very unhealthy if you're not in a large and well ventilated space, and these adhesives are much more likely to cause an allergic reaction. Preferably, find someone who uses an adhesive that was manufactured in the USA. If your artist can't answer these questions with ease, move on to the next artist on your list!

5. CHOOSE AN ARTIST YOU GENUINELY LIKE

This one might sound silly, but think about it, girls. You'll be going for bi-weekly fills and spending a good bit of time with this person. Wouldn't that be misery if you truly just didn't get along or have anything at all in common? You also need to be able to have an open dialogue with your artist of choice. I think in this industry, we as artists can get overworked and become so concentrated on completing our day that it's easy to forget to build a rapport with each client. So many of my customers complain about never feeling welcome or important at other salons. In fact, they have been asked to do some pretty unprofessional things to accommodate the artist! That's backwards!! Finding trust with your artist will make all the difference in the world.

Here are a few other little tidbits:​-For the love of lashes....make sure the artist sanitizes and rinses her tools, unless they are prepackaged. Believe it or not, I inherited a client who had never seen any type of sanitization. Ewwww. -Your artist should tell you to brush your lashes. If they don't, there's a problem. It's a necessity. If you try to brush and can't easily get the brush through from base to tips, RUN!!! They haven't set them properly. -Enjoy and care well for your lashes. Ask questions and follow directions to maintain great retention! Sometimes, it takes a few times working together to fall into a routine.